How influential are you?

So you’ve heard about the “new HR” and you want to take an active role in directing your company, but don’t know where to start? You’ve got a great reputation as a transactional manager or generalist, but want to step up to the top table and contribute to shaping business growth strategically? These are real and vital aspirations, but often are dampened by opposing attitudes from other directors and most importantly, a lack of confidence and real ability to influence change.

We work with many HR Professionals that have a wealth of experience and want to take on a more strategic role but are battling institutionalised attitudes that believe HR doesn’t belong there. Without a strong, skilled and appropriate workforce the company would not function so we know HR should be central to the strategic and operational activities just as much as others on the Executive Team.

But getting started and tackling these attitudes can be excruciatingly difficult. We work with HR professionals to help them make this transition and there are some critical activities they have to tackle first:

Get to know the business!

Being able to grasp the external business trends and stakeholder expectations, which will impact on the company. Translating these issues along with internal financial and performance metrics to create a ‘people strategy’ that will help the company create a strategic response to the business conditions.

Identify your “personal brand”

Take some time to understand what you bring to the organisation, what is unique to you as an individual and what you want to achieve. Identify your “end goal” and start acting as if you’re already there. If you want to be more strategic, start doing that now and exhibiting those behaviours. if you want to be more influential, start developing dialogues that get your message heard and reinforced wherever you can. You need your executive team to start seeing you in a new light and it’s only you that can embed that change!

Harness your influencing skills and promote credibility

Being able to influence key decision makers within an Executive Team is critical for every HR professional. You will already have trust and credibility having worked in the company for many years. But being heard and influencing strategic plans requires confidence and strength of character. Being consistent with your message, taking time to speak to people individually to explain the impact you can make, demonstrating how other organisations are successfully working with their HR team will all contribute to influencing change in attitude.

Be resilient

It won’t happen overnight and we know how people can react to change. You’ll need to be prepared to repeat yourself continuously, batt scepticism and cynicism and keep reinforcing the message. Identify who believes in your ideas and encourage them to champion them with you. You’ll need all the support you can get!

Get the trumpet out

Communicating constantly about your departmental achievements, highlighting opportunities to change and shouting about gaps that could be filled more strategically – this needs to be at the top of your agenda! Beavering away quietly and hoping for change will not result in success. Open your communication channels and use them repeatedly!

We love this quote by Napoleon Hill ‘There are no limitations to the mind except those that we acknowledge’.

Working with us we can help you to take that vital step up and cast away any limitations that you feel that you have. We will work alongside you and coach you to enhance your skills and give you the confidence to step up and start taking a more strategic role. We are passionate about helping HR professionals to take on integral roles within their companies and increase their influence.

If you are ready to take the next step in your career then get in touch with us by calling 0115 880 0098 or email penny@pennystrutton.co.uk